A poor argument to explain terrorism
OTTAWA—The hostage taking and massacre at a Dhaka cafe in Bangladesh is over. More than 20 innocent people were slaughtered by Islamist extremists, although exactly which terrorists were behind this heinous act is still unclear (Islamic State has claimed responsibility but the Bangladeshi government vehemently, and incredulously, denies IS has a presence in the country). […]
Re-opening Canada’s prison farms is just the first step
Recently, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced that he will launch a study on whether it’s possible to restore two of the former federal prison farms that are based in the Kingston area. The farms, which were run by the Correctional Service Canada, were renowned not only for their prize cattle but also for their […]
Don’t rush war on terror
OTTAWA—I have come to the conclusion that Westerners—and Western governments—are not very patient. It is not clear, as least not to me, whether this is due to our 24/7 news cycle, the constant availability of, and distraction from, social media, or the very nature of our capitalist society where results are measured quarterly and not […]
Three Amigos summit: trade, terrorism, and Trump
With the North American Leaders’ Summit (NALS) taking place on June 29 in Ottawa, it will be an opportunity for the heads of government to discuss pressing issues on their agendas—from drugs to softwood lumber. “That being said, [United States President Barack] Obama’s last months of office might make the two other leaders reluctant to […]
Adrift in the age of random murder
OTTAWA—Sometimes I feel really sorry for today’s young people, who are going to have deal with the scourge of terrorism and mass mayhem for years to come. The scale of the problem—whether you’re talking about Orlando or Brussels or Islamic State’s insanity in the Middle East—is incredibly daunting. The use of terror as a political […]
For Canadian politicos who knew her, murdered British MP was passionate, dedicated advocate
Slain British MP Jo Cox was a tireless, driven woman deeply dedicated to helping the world’s most vulnerable people, and who always managed to bring out the best from her co-workers, says a Canadian ministerial staffer who previously worked alongside her. Louis Belanger, director of communications for Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau (Compton-Stanstead, […]
Canada’s surveillance crisis now hiding in plain site
OTTAWA—Three years ago this month, Edward Snowden shocked the world with a series of disclosures that revealed a myriad of U.S. government-backed surveillance programs. The Snowden revelations sparked a global debate over how to best strike the balance between privacy and security and led to demands for greater telecom transparency. The initial Canadian response to […]
Ottawa should modernize Canada’s Security Infrastructure Program
Last November, Canadians of all backgrounds were shocked by the outrageous arson attack on a Peterborough mosque 24 hours after the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris. In targeting the local Muslim community, the perpetrator ironically galvanized the people of Peterborough into supporting their Muslim neighbours. The inspiring response to this incident should do more than […]
What does strategic paralysis look like?
On Tuesday, by a unanimous vote, the U.S. Senate passed a bill allowing families of September 11 victims to sue foreign governments which commit acts of terrorism on American soil. The bill paves the way for thousands of Americans to take to court the government of Saudi Arabia for its role in the 9/11 attacks. […]
National Security Oversight Committee to require top-secret facilities to ‘meet, transmit and store information’: Public Safety docs
In order to review, monitor and scrutinize the activities of the country’s most secret national security organizations including CSIS, the RCMP, the CSE, and the CBSA, Parliament’s first all-party National Security Oversight Committee will require dedicated secure facilities that match the “top secret RCMP signals-intelligence standards” to hold meetings, transmit, and store information, according to documents obtained by The […]
